Effects of Higher Altitudes on Heart Disease Patients

Individuals who are accustomed to living at lower altitudes, and then vacation or move to higher altitudes will often become ill at the higher altitude. This illness is commonly referred to as high-altitude sickness.

Effects of higher altitudes on heart disease patients are greater than on those who have no heart disease. People without heart disease may experience headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Those with heart disease will experience that and more.

Causes of High-Altitude Sickness

The higher the altitude, the less oxygen the air contains. High-altitudes make it harder for our bodies to get enough oxygen with the amount of effort to which we are accustomed. High-altitude sickness is caused by a decrease in the amount of oxygen entering your lungs and, consequently, the amount of oxygen in your blood.

Effects of Higher Altitudes on Heart Disease Patients

Higher altitudes and heart disease do not always mix well. You are urged to discuss the problem with your physician. The information below may help you ask the right questions.

Few studies have been done to show the direct effects of higher altitudes on heart disease patients. The following observations are based on those few studies and observations made by individual heart disease patients.

1. Normally speaking, the more limited your activity is at sea level, the more trouble you are likely to experience at higher altitudes. If you jog or walk briskly on a daily basis, and your symptoms are controlled sufficiently to allow for this activity, high altitude should have limited effect on your heart disease. If, however, you have a sedentary lifestyle, it is difficult to know how higher altitudes may effect your heart disease.

2. It can be beneficial to heart disease patients to try higher altitudes in a city such as Denver, Colorado where excellent, experienced medical care is available. If you have stable angina that is controlled by prescription medications, you could probably visit higher altitudes, but you are likely to feel more at ease if you stay near good medical care.

3. It is difficult for heart disease patients to know for sure whether their breathlessness at higher altitudes is a result of heart disease or the lack of oxygen. You will need to be more careful of chest pain, since you could be having a heart attack and attribute it to altitude.

4. Congestive heart disease patients can experience high altitude difficulties, since less stress on the heart is needed to affect it negatively. If you have congestive heart disease, and plan on visiting or moving to higher altitudes, keep your activity at a very moderate level, and limit yourself to locations that have good medical care.

5. Heart disease patients should be prepared to descend to lower altitudes if they have trouble. Some may not be able to survive at higher altitudes, and descent is the best sure for high-altitude sickness.

Conclusion: Heart disease patients who anticipate visiting or relocating to an area of higher altitude should plan on taking things very easy for the first couple of weeks. They should be aware of any heart disease symptoms as well as symptoms of high-altitude sickness. The medical community has more treatment options than they once had, but heart disease patients should not take chances.